Sarah Enters Debate on Cap-and-Tax

Sarah Palin entered into the arena of national politics today, with an op-ed in the Washington Post. Choosing energy, a topic that she is extremely familiar with, Sarah crafted a detailed and convincing argument against the cap-and-tax bill. Palin makes several points that absolutely decimate the argument in favor of cap-and-trade:

The bill includes $4.8 billion in unemployment relief over eight years for those who lose their jobs because of a drying-up energy sector — a direct counter to the administration claim that the bill is a job creator.

The bill is regressive, in that it will hit lower-income families the hardest. She uses Obama’s own words that electric bills will “necessarily skyrocket”, and ties it to Obama’s promise of not raising taxes on those who earn more than $250,000 per year.

The bill will increase the cost of raw goods, thus driving up the price of everything in the economy, making it much more difficult for us to come out of this recession.

Sarah then goes on to talk about America’s need for a clear energy policy, harnessing the natural resources of oil, natural gas, and coal that reside within our own borders, as well as the need for nuclear power, while at the same time ensuring that our environment is protected. She stresses the need to become energy independent so that we do not become beholden to China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia for our energy needs. She concludes;

For so many reasons, we can’t afford to kill responsible domestic energy production or clobber every American consumer with higher prices. Can America produce more of its own energy through strategic investments that protect the environment, revive our economy and secure our nation? Yes, we can. Just not with Barack Obama’s energy cap-and-tax plan.

I am curious about what kind of press this op-ed will get. Sarah Palin has been all over the news as of late, and having her come out now against a current administrative policy being debated in congress is brilliant. Palin can likely generate more press than perhaps any other Republican out there, and can draw attention to issues of importance. Time will tell if she has an influence in defeating cap-and-tax, but if she does, it will be a feather in her cap.